Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Vitamin P

As we've resumed kindergarten after the winter break, we've included some time each day for the kindergartners to get some much-needed Vitamin P (for Play) at school.

They can hardly get enough Vitamin P.

I got out some plastic food items and gray plastic cafeteria style trays. These new playthings attracted much interest and provided opportunities to share and take turns.

Practicing social skills is very important. Children need many opportunities to learn how to get along in a safe, sheltered, place with helpful guidance when problems arise. I can tell that play like this is something that five and six year olds really value. They always welcome it.

Of course, we do more than play. At centers, Madilynn's mom brought in a Ball Python for us to see. All but two of the kindergartners held this guy. Snakes are really fantastic creatures, and I'm glad so many kids got to feel and hold his smooth, lithe, muscular body.

It is easy to see how Ball Pythons came by their name.

We also surveyed the class with regard to what pet they would choose to add to their household of pets if given the choice to add an animal not already in their household. As you can see, snakes finished in second place, just behind birds. I would think our snake's visit today did something to make snakes a such popular prospective pets.

The homework tonight is to practice using lowercase letters when writing his or her name. You do not need to turn it in tomorrow and, if you wish, you may use other paper to practice on. Don't stress, that's the main thing.

Archy got his name up on the wall in gray letters upper and lowercase. Your child can tell you about it.